It’s hard to believe that our 2025-2026 AmeriCorps VISTA cohort is already wrapping up their year of service – but before we pivot to welcoming the 2026-2027 cohort, we want to take a moment to recognize the efforts and achievements of our newest group of VISTA alumni. 

August – September, 2025

VISTA members attended a multi-day virtual orientation to prepare them for the year ahead – and then it was time to dive into their projects! During their first few weeks of service, the 2025-2026 VISTA cohort focused on settling into their new roles and responsibilities, getting to know their host sites, and making connections with the communities they would be serving in the coming months – which ranged from Richmond to Roanoke (and beyond). 

October – November, 2025

Fall conference season was upon us before we knew it! Many of our VISTA members had the opportunity to meet in person for the first time at our annual Virginia Housing Alliance convenings (to include the Housing Credit Conference and Housing Virginia’s Most Vulnerable) in Richmond. Several members of the 2025-2026 cohort also had the opportunity to attend the Virginia Governor’s Housing Conference in Roanoke. These in-person gatherings helped our VISTA members to learn more about Virginia’s affordable housing and homeless services landscape, as well as providing valuable opportunities for networking and connection beyond their host sites.

December 2025

In December, the 2025-2026 VISTA cohort gathered in Richmond for their first quarterly professional development session. Over the course of this two-day training, VISTA members got to know each other better, sharing resources and insights from their respective projects, and identifying opportunities for collaboration. Other highlights included implementing design thinking principles – which did involve playing with LEGOs – and planting new fruit trees at Cornerstone Community Farm, which provides fresh, healthy produce for students and families at Fairfield Middle School in Henrico County. 

January – February, 2026

By the beginning of the new year, our VISTA members were well into their service terms – and it was exciting to see some of the results beginning to emerge from their work over the prior months: 

• Cassandra Nnaji – Data Analyst VISTA at True Ground Housing Partners (Arlington) – completed and finalized a series of interactive Tableau dashboards designed to help her organization better analyze and use resident services data. She also developed an annual needs assessment presentation, turning data into actionable insights while ensuring the dashboards can be easily maintained after her service year.
• Abby Kupstas – Resource Development VISTA at Habitat for Humanity Virginia (Charlottesville) – played a key role in advancing her host site’s solar initiative by helping secure an invitation to apply for a $500,000 grant after presenting the program to a prospective funder. She also prepared to share the program’s success at the Habitat Michigan Affiliate Conference, expanding awareness of the initiative beyond Virginia. Bonus – Habitat Virginia would go on to receive the $500,000 grant in May!
• Emily London – Housing Partnership Development VISTA with the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (Charlottesville) – helped strengthen regional housing collaboration by managing communications and outreach for the Central Virginia Regional Housing Partnership (RHP), which spans six localities. Emily boosted engagement within the RHP through member surveys, targeted communications (including a monthly newsletter), and developing a GIS-based tool to streamline HUD environmental reviews.
• Danni Smith – Marketing & Communications VISTA with the Virginia Housing Alliance (Richmond) – developed and finalized the 2025 Virginia Housing Trust Fund Impact Report, which was shared with legislators as part of VHA’s annual Housing Advocacy Day at the Virginia General Assembly. By demonstrating the tangible results of the Commonwealth’s primary investment tool for affordable housing, VHA was able to help secure an increase of $40M for the VHTF in Fiscal Year 2027!

March – April, 2026

In March, the 2025-2026 cohort returned to Richmond for their second in-person professional development training. Members worked on post-VISTA planning, building on the design thinking principles they had learned during previous sessions. The cohort returned to Cornerstone Community Farm for another fun volunteer day, where they helped with preparations for the spring planting season.

Five members of the 2025-2026 cohort also had the opportunity to attend the National Low Income Housing Coalition Policy Forum in Washington, D.C. 

As the weather got warmer, our VISTA members were hard at work – marking the halfway point of their service terms with a number of exciting accomplishments: 

• Caroline Sabel – Funder and Community Development Associate VISTA at Housing Alexandria – helped her organization raise a total of more than $36,000 during Spring2ACTion, a local day of giving. These funds will be used for resident services, to include resource fairs, a school supply giveaway program, community gardens, and other initiatives.
• Josh Stein – Organizational Training Strategist VISTA with Housing Families First (Henrico County) – designed and led community training events in response to identified gaps in coordination among local homelessness service providers. He organized a training on eviction prevention tools and a panel-style event on low-barrier shelters, which brought together 40+ participants from 21 different organizations.
• Colette Cannell – Housing Resource VISTA at Community Services Housing (Charlottesville) – secured a free Canva Pro nonprofit license for her host site; she would later use this software to bring CSH’s long-standing concept for a resident services and community resource newsletter to life. 
• Maia Feldman – Community Engagement Specialist VISTA with Rebuilding Together Richmond – led the implementation of the Safe and Healthy Home Kits project, coordinating the initiative from concept to completion. She collaborated with community partners and volunteers to gather resources, secure donations, and assemble the kits, which are designed to help support residents in maintaining their homes. 
• Victor Villalta – Community Land Trust Communications Strategist VISTA with the Lighthouse Beloved Community (Lynchburg) – helped expand access to housing and homeownership resources by translating materials into Spanish and developing culturally-responsive homebuyer education classes. His work is empowering more community members to pursue housing opportunities.

May – June, 2026

In May, AmeriCorps VISTA members from across the Commonwealth traveled to Richmond to attend the Serve Virginia Volunteerism Summit and Professional Networking Day. VISTA members learned about practical strategies for building strong community relationships, tools for preventing burnout and promoting well-being while serving in social impact roles, and ideas for translating their AmeriCorps service experience into a path of lifelong civic engagement.

Back at their host sites, the 2025-2026 VISTA cohort continued to make an impact on their projects: 

• Karim Cissé – Housing Specialist VISTA with the Danville Neighborhood Development Corporation – developed and launched a new Property Intelligence System (PIS) to help his host site identify promising local opportunities for affordable housing development. His PIS tool allows staff to quickly compare properties with potential funding sources, making it easier to plan future projects and providing a more strategic approach to expanding affordable housing.
• Anna Jaynes – Resource Coordinator VISTA at Bay Aging (Urbanna) – led efforts to reframe regional housing conversations through a system capacity lens. By prioritizing data-informed discussions and regional collaboration, she helped to identify gaps in infrastructure and service delivery that are critical to long-term sustainability.
• Nathan Niyen – Development Coordinator VISTA at Renovation Alliance (Roanoke) – supported outreach and engagement efforts by conducting interviews, developing video storytelling content, and building new partnerships. His work has helped to elevate community voices, highlight program impact, and improve organizational visibility and community relationships.
• Michelle Paquette – Community Development VISTA with Micah Ministries (Fredericksburg) – built strong community partnerships that expanded access to resources and services, to include supporting large-scale food distribution projects and other engagement initiatives. Her outreach and trust-building efforts have proven incredibly valuable as Micah Ministries works with neighbors to plan its upcoming supportive housing community for people transitioning out of homelessness. 

July 2026

In July, the 2025-2026 VISTA cohort attended their final quarterly professional development training in Richmond, which provided members with an opportunity to gather together in-person one last time to reflect on their AmeriCorps projects and experiences. As part of their sendoff – and in celebration of their year of service – VISTA members had the opportunity to attend a Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball game, where much fun was had by all! The cohort then returned to their respective host sites, where they are currently finishing out their final month of service. 

Reflecting on a Year of Service

By the numbers, the 2025-2026 VISTA cohort certainly achieved a lot together: 

• 165 organizations supported through VISTA efforts
• 355 staff and/or volunteers trained by VISTA members
• 185 homeowners assisted through VISTA efforts
• 64 educational sessions facilitated by VISTA members
• 99 grants or funding proposals submitted by VISTA members

For many AmeriCorps VISTA members, their service year is a time of significant professional (and personal) growth – in addition to the capacity-building impacts VISTA members make on the organizations and communities they serve. Several of our current VISTA members chose to share some additional reflections on their service: 

“Serving as a VISTA has given me opportunities to take the lead on projects, including a large grant application, a conference presentation, and weekly team meetings. These projects have helped me grow as a leader and learn how to balance and prioritize multiple responsibilities.” 

– Abby Kupstas, Resource Development VISTA at Habitat for Humanity of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)

“Personally, this experience has taught me the importance of empathy, collaboration, and servant leadership. Working directly with individuals and families seeking affordable housing has given me a greater appreciation for the challenges many people face and reinforced my passion for creating opportunities for those in need. It has also strengthened my communication skills, especially when serving diverse and bilingual communities, and inspired me to continue pursuing a career focused on community development and public service.”

– Victor Villalta, Community Land Trust Communications Strategist VISTA at the Lighthouse Beloved Community (Lynchburg, VA)

Congratulations to our newest group of VISTA alumni – we hope you will continue to be proud of your hard work this past year, and VHA will be wishing you all the best on your next adventures!